


help me to gain your heart

by jenomeow



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Love Letters, M/M, Newspapers, Pining, all my characters are bad at feelings, but not really, jaemin is no exception
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-08 03:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20292523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenomeow/pseuds/jenomeow
Summary: Jaemin has a massive crush but he's a coward who can't figure out how to confess. So, he goes to the love advice section from the local newspaper.





	help me to gain your heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dimsum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dimsum/gifts).

> hui i- idk what i did D': i just started writing and this happened and,,,,, im sorry i did this to your prompt oof BUT i made it with a lot of love uwu pls enjoy bub

The first day of high school, Jaemin went to his class full of confidence. He was sure everything was going to be perfect, he had high expectations. His friend Jeno was with him and his plan was to make as many friends as possible. He took a seat and Jeno sat in the chair in front of him. The teacher eventually came and with him was the most beautiful boy Jaemin had ever seen. He fell in love at first sight, and that’s a lot to say because well, everyone looks bad in high school, but that boy was the cutest.

“He’s Renjun and he just moved from China, so his domain of the language isn’t the best yet. But it’s okay because we are going to help him, am I right?” everyone confirmed with a 'yes'.

The boy smiled widely.

“I’m Huang Renjun, nice to meet you.” he said, with a thick accent and a sweet voice that felt like a whiplash to Jaemin.

His expectations for high school were high but holy fuck.

Because Jaemin was Jaemin and he loved to socialize, he became friends with Renjun. Because he seemed like a good boy and eventually they became closer, including Jeno and Donghyuck to their circle of friends.

High school was pretty much uneventful, some dates here and some boyfriends there. In short, average. Except because every day Renjun shined more and more and Jaemin felt like one of those bugs that search for light or something. When he told that to Jeno, he made a disgusted sound but nodded because well, it was true. Jaemin acted like one of those ugly bugs.

They were good friends. It showed in moments like those in which Jaemin imposed himself the mission of give Renjun all the love possible, hugging him and kissing him on the cheeks. Renjun was the type of person who doesn’t like to be touched that much, and he actually didn’t allow anyone to hug him more than two times per day and only for like 3 seconds. Unless they were Jaemin, because Jaemin could hug him and give him all the love he wanted and Renjun never told him to go away, and that fact only served to warm Jaemin’s heart.

Eventually, the time to go to college arrived and the four of them decided to study on the same campus, but different careers. Jaemin was in something related with health and Renjun in arts. It was different, but somehow they managed to see each other pretty often.

Two years into college, he decided it was time; It was time to confess his love. But he was a bit scared, to be honest. He was the typical boy who never had to be the one making the first move, so he wasn’t used to that, but Jaemin was sure it shouldn’t be that hard… right?

He was proved wrong when every time Renjun looked at his direction he felt like fainting. He couldn’t endure a rejection. God, no. And what if it affected their friendship? He needed help, but his friends were literally useless: Donghyuck had been with the same boy for ages, they were pretty much married. He possibly didn’t even remember how the confession went. Jeno wasn’t interested in dating at all, however he received love declarations almost daily. But him making the statement? Nope. Evidently, he couldn’t ask Renjun. And then there was Yangyang, a friend they made in the introduction courses the college offered, he was from China, so he bonded quickly with Renjun. Yangyang could be a good option, but Jaemin prefered to avoid asking his immediate group of friends if possible.

So the local newspaper was the answer. There was a new love advice section where you send letters to them asking for help regarding love and they give you an answer with some advice in the next edition of the newspaper.

The first letter Jaemin sent was short but straight to the point:

_ “I want to confess to my crush but I don’t know how. HELP ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ _

_ -a boy in love.” _

The answer, given by Junnie the columnist, was_: “Maybe you could send more info about that, boy in love? So I can help you better, please.” _

Yeah, there were at least 10 other people who wanted Junnie’s help, he needed to be more specific. So he did.

_ “He’s the cutest (♡＾▽＾♡) I met him in high school. He’s from China. And we’re best friends and I KNOW he will kindly reject me but I still want to confess. To stop living with this inside me and all that and the point is, how do I do it without chicken out at the last second AND without making things uncomfortable? I’m really afraid of losing this friendship, even if it sound stupid or cliche. _

_ -a boy in love” _

_ “You know, I think that unless you’re in a kdrama or you live the perfect life, talking about feelings will make us feel uncomfortable even if just a little: you’re kind of exposing yourself. It’s harder for some more than to others, but my advice is to go for it, boy in love. You’re scared, so maybe you could start little by little, giving him cute tiny presents and talking about feelings from time to time. I hope this works.” _

He took the advice and the next day Renjun had a box of chocolates in his hands and Jaemin smiled brightly at him.

“I love feelings.” was what he said. Renjun blinked.

“I know you do, Jaemin. You love feelings and hugs and kisses.”

“Yes, sir, I do. But how do _ you _feel about feelings?”

He could feel his friends’ stares and his phone vibrate, probably Jeno asking him if that was his sad attempt at cofessing. He ignored all that, only looking at Renjun, who seemed confused.

“I feel, uh, normal, I guess? How am I supposed to feel about feelings? That’s a weird question. They’re just… feelings.”

“Hmm. I see.” he nodded, solemnly. Renjun blinked harder, confuser. Donghyuck sighed and resumed to talk to a very amused Yangyang, and Jeno just smiled at him with what was supposed to be courage, but it looked more like badly hidden laughter.

_ “I don’t think it went that well, Junnie. He just stared at me and my friends were laughing because to be honest, what was that, oh gosh, it was so awkward, so not me (-∧-；) _

_ -a boy in love.” _

_ “Okay, so not talking about feelings, noted. Let’s go for a classic: ask him for a cheesy date, maybe he will realize that way without you telling anything.” _

He didn’t tell Renjun it was a date but he was sure it was very implicit that it was; he asked him when the two of them were alone, he told him he wanted to spend more time with him. It was obvious. So he went for the classic amusement park for this classic date. He dressed extra well and he made sure to smell even nicer than how he normally did.

Jaemin was waiting for Renjun at the entrance when the other boy appeared, looking beautiful, pretty, like a fallen angel… and super amused by something that Chenle was saying. Renjun was there with their friends some years younger, Chenle and Jisung.

“I thought it’d be even more fun if the kids came with us!” Renjun explained. Jaemin smiled tightly.

“Hey, we’re not kids, you hag.”

_ “Junnie, he definitely doesn’t like me that way. He went to the date with two of our friends, can you believe? I’m losing hope ╥﹏╥ _

_ -a boy still in love” _

_ “No, boy in love, don’t lose the hope! He sounds a bit dense BUT you can try something else, something more aggressive… flirting.” _

So flirting it was. He could do that. Na Jaemin, by nature, was a flirty boy. He didn’t even realize it, unless the other person was someone he really liked, because then, the flirting weakened. The thing was, he flirted with all of his friends, including Renjun. Yeah, the flirting game wasn’t strong with him, but oh boy, it was there. So how could he make Renjun realize something was different if he was already used to Jaemin’s antics?

The answer was dumb pick up lines he found on the internet.

“So, Injun, are you religious? Because you’re the answer to all my prayers.”

“Mm. You know the answer to that, Jaemin. I don’t want to start an argument over religion in the middle of brunch.” he responded, busy with his phone.

Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t working either. But Jaemin was no coward.

“Yeah, you’re right. No religion. But what about… organs, huh? I was wondering if you had an extra heart. Mine was just stolen by you.”

“That’s… That’s not how biology works.”

At least he looked in Jaemin’s direction this time.

“Anyways, aside from being sexy, what do you do for a living?”

“I told you, I started to work for the local newspaper.”

Jaemin was running out of ideas, so he ate in silence, hearing Renjun talk about something he did in a class, and when they were leaving, he went back at it:

“Kiss me if I’m wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?”

This was it. Aggressive and straightforward. Renjun _had_ to get it, right?

“I mean, technically, they do, in the form of fossils.” he shrugged.

Okay yeah, whatever.

_ “༼☯﹏☯༽ (╥_╥) ༼ಢ_ಢ༽ (ಥ﹏ಥ) _

_ -a boy in love” _

_ “Oh boy in love. I’ll do it myself if this continues. Just tell him already please (ಥ_ʖಥ)” _

_ “How do I tell Renjun I like him like it’s easy? It’s not and he didn’t get the talk about feelings, the date nor the stupid pick up lines. Now w h a t. _

_ -a boy in love” _

_ “Oh. Oh, I see. So it really is you.” _

Jaemin only stared at the paper in his hands. What kind of answer was that? It wasn’t even an answer. But he could understand, even Junnie was done with his cowardice.

“Na Jaemin.”

Renjun was standing right in front of him, frowning and looking scary. He tried to recall what could he have done to make Renjun angry, but found his mind blank. He did nothing.

“Ah, Renjun. What are you doing in this side of the campus?” he asked nervously.

“I work at the local newspaper as columnist.”

“I— yes, I know. I went with you to the interview.”

Renjun sighed.

“I thought it could be you, since what I told the boy to do was what you did the next day. He mentioned something about his crush being from China. So yeah, maybe. But then he— _you _decided to mention my name. And,” he shook his head, with a fond smile. “I work as the columnist in charge of the love advice section, you silly boy in love.”

Ah, so Jaemin told Junnie about his inability to confess to the love of his life best boy Renjun, who, turns out, is actually Junnie. It could be worse. Renjun was smiling and he held Jaemin’s hand, so that must mean something good.

That was the moment to freak out, but were there really any reasons to do it now?

He tightened the grip and with a chuckle and a forgotten newspaper in his other hand, he said: “Now let’s go on an actual date. Fine, Junnie?”

**Author's Note:**

> ok so i was at a mall right? and i was bored. and the fornana gc came back to life and i was like meh might as well try to write a little while mom finishes whatever she's doing. and then bam. this thing happened.
> 
> i wrote it in like 30 minutes and my beta is asleep but i wanted to post it NOW so yeah no beta in this work rip
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/jenosglow)


End file.
